Wire-splicer.



L. G. STEELE.

WIRE SPLIGER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24, 1912.

1,050,401, Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

' FIGZ. 2

WITNESSESI 6 6 mlNV-ENTQR COLUMBIA PLANOQRAPH c0, wAsl-uNdTON. D. c.

LAWRENCE CARR STEELE, 0F BEAVER, PENNSYLVANIA.

WIR'E-SPLIGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14,1913.

Application filed January 24, 1912. Serial No. 672,998.

To (/7? 10710111 '1' i may concern Be it known that I, Lxwnaxcn CARR STEELE, residing at Beaver, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the United States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in \Vire-Splicers, of which improvements the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wire working tools, and the object of my invention is to provide a wire-splicing tool such as will form an efficient and neat joint or splice between sections of wire.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms part of my specification, and in which my invention is illustrated, Figure 1 is an elevation of my wire-splicing tool; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the tool shown in Fig. 1: Fig. 3 is a partial bottom view of the tool shown in Fig. 1 Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IVIV, Fig. 1; and F 5 shows a joint or connection between two pieces of wire, the joint being formed by my tool.

In the several figures like numerals are used to designate like parts.

My wire-splicing tool consists essentially of a gripping instrument adapted to firmly hold the ends of wires to be joined together. and a member adapted to receive such ends and further adapted to be rotated with relation to said gripper.

Referring to the drawing, the gripper preferably consists of a pair of pliers 1, 2, the members of which may be pivoted at 2-) and provided with jaws 4, 5; and the rotatable member preferably consists of a screw threaded shaft 0 provided with a handle 7. One member of the said gripper may be provided with a laterally extending drum, which, as shown herein, preferably consists of a barrel 8, formed integrally with the gripper member 1, and provided with a longitudinal slot 9. The said drum may be further provided with means to operatively engage the screw-threads of the said shaft (3, such means preferably consisting of a removable abutment 10 passing through the wall of the barrel and held yieldingly in its inserted position by means of a spring 11.

To the end that the wires desired to be spliced may be maintained in proper relative positions while being twisted, the shaft (3 may be provided with wire-receiving openings. Such openings preferably consist of a slot 12 (shown particularly in Fig. 1), ex-

tending the full length of the shaft (3, and a recess o-r hole 13, extending longitudinally of the said shaft to any desired depth from its outer end. These openings are, as shown, preferably oppositely disposed with relation to the center-line or axis of the shaft 6. And, to the end that a length'of wire may be held within the slot 12, a yielding catch 1a may be pivoted to the handle 7, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

'lVhile I do not wish to limit myself to any particular construction of the gripper jaws 4e. 5, I find that both pieces of the wire desired to be twisted together may be effectively held by providing one jaw, such as the jaw 5, with a pivoted bearing surface 15, held vieldingly in open position by a spring 16. Furthermore I find it desirable to hold the jaws yieldingly in open position as by a spring 17.

In the operation of twisting two sections of wire together to form a joint or splice such as is shown in Fig. 5, thetool is arranged as is shown in Fig. 1. The end of one wire is then inserted between the gripper jaws and into the hole 13, and the end of the other wire is laid in the slot 12 so that its end may extend beyond the end of the shaft and within range of engagement by the gripper. Also the other end of the wire lying in the said slot may be held within the slot by means of the catch 14. The gripper may then be firmly pressed together to engage the two wires lying between its jaws and the handle 7 may be rotated. It will readily be seen that, .as the shaft (3 rotates and moves outwardly,

the two sections of wire will be twisted about each other and about the center of rotation of the said shaft, so that a joint will be formed such as is illustrated in Fig. When the wires have been twisted together, the slots 9 and 12 of the barrel and shafts,

respectively, may be brought to registeringwires of diii'erent gages may be twisted together or that wires consisting of several strands may be sin'nlarly united. t 'urthermore, it will be observed that the pitch of the screw-threads upon the shaft may be such that; any desired. pitch may be had in the wires when spliced: and that a number of shat'ts, provided with ditt'erent size wirereeeiving openings, may be used in conned tion with a single barrel-provided 5 1'ripper.

I do not; wish to limit myself to the details of construction shown herein, tor obvionslv many changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my inveir tion.

l claim as my invention:

1. in a wire-splicing tool. the combination of a r rrippingmember, a wire-receiving member rotatable with relation to the said grip iing member, and means for e'tlecting' a movement of extension between the said two members simultancousli with the relative rotation of the said members, substair tiall v as described.

2. In a wire-splieing tool the combination of a gripper. a barrel extending later ally from said grippef and. secured thereto. and a member provided with wire-receiving openings and rotatable within said barrel, substantially as described. t

a). In a wire-splicing tool, the eonibination of a gripper. a barrel secured to the said gripper and provided with a threadengag'ing abutment. and a threaded member having wii.'e-receiving openings and rotatablv mounted. within the said barrel, substantially as described.

a In a wire splicing tool, the eon'ibination of a gripper, a barrel secured to said. gripper and provided with an abutment, and a. serew-threaded shat't rotatable within said barrel, said shaft being provided with longitudinal 'wire-receiving openings oppositel disposed with relation to the center of rotation ot the said shaft, substantially as described.

5. in a wire-twisting tool, the combination 01 a gripper having two oppositely disposed jaws, and a rotatable member provided with wirereceiving openings. one jaw of said gripi ier being provided with a yielding pivoted bearing surface, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof .l have hereunto set my hand.

l iitll ltltll l til) tidrltlt trlil l El i i "Witnesses PAUL N. CnrrongLow, Framers J. Tonassox.

Co ies of this atent; ma be obtained for five cents each In addressins the Commissioner at Patents.

Washington, 33. 8. 

